India Inc. Awaits Tendulkar’s 100th Century

Pictured, the first Coca-Cola can from Sachin Tendulkar’s commemorative series.

It’s no surprise that multi-national companies have come up with a range of advertising campaigns to cash in on the moment Indian cricket hero Sachin Tendulkar hits his 100th international century, whenever that might be. Some analysts, however, warn there’s a danger that these companies won’t reap the rewards as the market is already oversaturated.

Cricket and Tendulkar are ubiquitous in India. Turn on a television and at least one channel will be broadcasting a cricket match, while another will be carrying an advert with Tendulkar flogging anything from paints to banking products. It’s good business for the cricketer, given that he reportedly earns 1.57 million rupees, or roughly $30,500, a day through endorsements.

Recent television broadcasts of cricket matches reveal something else: row upon row of empty seats. Granted, when Tendulkar plays, the crowds still come, but there’s no denying that the fervent cricket fans of India are showing signs of fatigue due to the endless barrage of matches in the sport’s calendar. Even Rahul Dravid, in his Bradman Oration on Wednesday, said he was concerned about the low spectator numbers at recent India matches.

The same oversaturation troubles could apply for advertisements featuring Tendulkar, says Ashutosh Sinha, senior vice president of market research firm IMRB International.

Mr. Sinha warns that capitalizing on Tendulkar “might not reap huge profits,” as “homogenous products will eventually flood the market and appear one among a crowd of many.”

“It’s a classic example of how too many cooks spoil the broth,” he says.

But advertisers aren’t yet shying away, particularly as Tendulkar is one away from an unprecedented 100th international century. The Little Master is, however, keeping advertisers – along with cricket fans everywhere – on tenterhooks as he’s been stranded on 99 centuries since March.

Tendulkar seemed destined to score that 100th century soon after India’s World Cup victory in Mumbai, but – despite coming close on a handful of occasions – the milestone remains elusive. He, more than anyone, of course wants to get this increasingly heavy monkey off his back.

Meanwhile, the companies that vested their hopes and campaigns around the 100th century have been forced to tinker with their plans, reflecting the perils of basing strategies around something you can’t control.

Retailer Future Group Ltd. had come up with a limited edition range of personal care products including soaps and toothpastes under the “Sach” brand to mark the moment Tendulkar scored his 100th ton. But a spokesman told India Real Time that the company has shelved the project for now. Future Group, like time itself, waits for no man, not even Tendulkar.

Other companies focusing on the 100th century include Japan’s Canon Inc., which launched a “99 Powershots, One More To Go” campaign, asking fans to choose their favorite picture of one of Tendulkar’s many centuries, and Coca-Cola, which introduced a series of commemorative cans.

In a July press release, Coca-Cola said it was “confident that he [Sachin Tendulkar] will hit another century at some point during the current tournament between India and England.”

Coca-Cola

Pictured, the ninth Coca-Cola can from Sachin Tendulkar’s commemorative series.

He didn’t.

Still, the company has pressed ahead with its campaign, which involves 10 different can designs, each “dedicated to one of Mr. Tendulkar’s most memorable centuries.”

“Each set of cans displays an image of Sachin from the respective match [picked by him], the name of the opposing team, the year, and the number of runs scored in that innings,” Kamlesh Sharma, general manager of communications for Coca-Cola India, told IRT.

The first can of the series, for example, has a picture of Tendulkar at Old Trafford in Manchester, where he scored his maiden Test century — 119 against England — in 1990, while the ninth can depicts him in Gwalior, where he smashed a record-breaking 200 against South Africa in a One-Day International last year. That record was recently broken by Tendulkar’s team-mate Virender Sehwag, who thumped 219 runs in an ODI against the West Indies in Indore.

“What makes this initiative special is that these innings have been handpicked by Sachin himself, making it a collector’s item for his innumerable fans across the country,” Mr. Sharma said, adding that it was the first time Coca-Cola has customized its products as a tribute to an Indian celebrity. The company has had special editions elsewhere, including series celebrating Canada’s gold medal victory in women’s ice hockey at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Saudi Arabia’s qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the gold medals won at the 1993 Southeast Asian Games by Singaporean swimmer Ang Peng Siong and bodybuilder Azman Abdullah.

For the Tendulkar century series, a total of 6.5 million cans were to be distributed across India, of which 800,000 would be dedicated to his record breaking 100th century. Nine editions of the commemorative cans were launched in August in what was a fairly subdued affair for a company like Coca-Cola. And of course, we’re still awaiting the tenth version (though with slightly less baited breath than a Tendulkar century.)

Mr. Sharma declined to comment on the cost of production and earnings from the initiative, though he said the first nine editions have sold out.

“Most multinationals have rushed into advertising and sales campaigns,” Mr. Gudipati said. “Rather than flooding the market with identical products, companies should invest in product development and innovative strategies,” and their launch “should be perfectly tied with the record-breaking century.”

About India Real Time

India Real Time offers analysis and insights into the broad range of developments in business, markets, the economy, politics, culture, sports, and entertainment that take place every single day in the world’s largest democracy. Regular posts from Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires reporters around the country provide a unique take on the main stories in the news, shed light on what else mattered and why, and give global readers a snapshot of what Indians have been talking about all week. You can contact the editors at indiarealtime(at)wsj(dot)com.